Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II takes place on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey in London, marking the formal ascension of Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor to the British throne.

While the event is celebrated across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, it sparks controversy in Scotland, where some object to the monarch being styled “Elizabeth II”. Their argument: Scotland never had a Queen Elizabeth I, as the first Elizabeth reigned only over England and Ireland before the 1707 Act of Union.

In response to these objections, it is declared that in cases where England and Scotland have had different sequences of monarchs, the sovereign will use the higher of the two numerals. Thus, Elizabeth II becomes the official regnal title throughout the UK, despite continuing discontent in some Scottish quarters.